Of days off, damp hair, and movies
by TapesAndRecords
Summary: "Hey, why'd you go back to your place last night?" "Because... I wanted to sleep." "You could've done that at mine." A day-off leaves Ziva sleeping in and Tony wondering. One-shot. A warning of definite fluff.


Hey everyone. Oh, look, another one-shot from me. I promise I'll update Airport soon, I've just had no time to write anything new. I wrote this, like, two months ago but I kept forgetting to post it. I figured I might as well. There are two types of line-breaks in this. That's deliberate, if you're wondering. So, uh, enjoyy.

Disclaimer: You know you're obsessed with NCIS when you see a reference number for a book that says _NCLS,_ but you think it says _NCIS_…

Listening to: Sky's Still Blue by Andrew Belle

* * *

The alarm clock buzzes its shrill tone, at the same time it always does- 05:00-, and she flings an arm out to silence it entirely.  
Running today is out of the question. It's a weekend, she's not on call, and yesterday's fast-paced case has left her feeling run over, like a bulldozer has crushed her.  
Lying beneath the covers once more, she nestles into soft white linen and returns to oh-so-deep sleep.

.

Sunlight wakes her the next time; a stream of gold decorates her face, and she groans. Not bothering to check the time, she stands, her muscles crying out from staying still for so long.  
She stumbles to the window and pulls the curtains shut, then returns to fluffy paradise and snoozes once more.

.

Finally, she wakes naturally, and pulls her head from the pillow with a satisfied sigh. Stretching her arms, she makes a content noise and rolls to see the time. 1300.  
She doesn't know the last time she slept this late.

Making a cup of tea and a sandwich to silence her rumbling stomach, she sits in the living room and puts a movie on, lounging across the couch in an attempt to be as comfortable as possible.

Once the film finishes, she leaves her dishes on the coffee table and goes for a well-deserved shower.

.

Her phone rings just as she's rinsing her hair, but she ignores it and continues her routine.  
Her cell rings just as she reaches for her bottle of shower gel, but she dismisses it and carries on.  
There's a knock on her door as she towels her hair, and she tuts before grabbing a robe and making her way to the hallway.

Looking through the peephole, she's surprised to see an agitated-looking Tony on the other side, running a hand through his hair as he checks the time on his watch. She opens the door with a questioning look, and his head shoots up.  
"Is something the matter, Tony?" she asks, concerned but a little frustrated.

"I called you, and you didn't pick up. I left a message on your. . . . cell." His voice trails off, and she realizes he's no longer looking at her eyes, but a little farther south. Her robe is gaping slightly at the front. Blushing, she pulls it tighter and drags her partner inside.

"Tony. What is wrong?"

He snaps out of it and returns his gaze to her eyes, smiling with a slight air of awkwardness.  
"Nothing's wrong, Zeev. I… wanted to know if you wanted to go see a movie. You didn't pick up, so I came to ask you, instead. Thought you'd be, y'know, dressed."

"I was just in the shower, Tony." she replies, ignoring the first part of his speech for the time being.

"At half-past five?"

"Yes." To her, the notion does not seem odd.

"Right . . . ." is his slow, drawn-out reply, and she rolls her eyes before telling him she'll be ready in ten minutes.

.

Walking into the living room in more suitable attire, she rifles through her handbag in the search for a hair tie. Finding one, she begins scooping it up, when he tells her to stop.

"Don't." he says. "Leave it down."  
And he twirls a stray, still-damp curl round his finger as if to emphasize the point. She grins, lets her hair down, and kisses him on the cheek before grabbing her jacket in her left hand, and his hand in her right.

**000000**

"Hey, why'd you go back to your place last night?" he asks as they walk out of the theater, hand-in-hand.

"Because... I wanted to sleep."

"You could've done that at mine." he retorts, and she shrugs, knowing it to be true.

"But, had I gone to your place, you would have distracted me in the morning."

"Not if you'd told me not to." he mutters, and her eyes soften as he stares at his feet.

"Look at me, Tony. I did not forget about you, I did not _not _want to be with you, I did not- I am not thinking of leaving you. And stop pretending you weren't thinking those things. I just... went home, okay?"

And he sighs, relenting, and she kisses him.

"The good thing is, I can go to your place _now_."

His grin is the widest she's ever seen, and he practically drags her to his car.

**000000**

The next day, she wakes to the feeling of a hand running down her arm, and she smiles before opening her eyes. Rolling over, she sees her partner, with an unknown look in his eyes, and she half-knows what he's going to say before he says it.

"God, I love you."

And she moves forward, kissing his lips briefly; gently, then rests her face in the crook of his neck as she says "I love you too."

* * *

Cake for all those who review! :D  
-Kiera. x


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